This invention relates generally to surgical scalpels and relates, more particularly, to means and methods by which the cutting edge of a scalpel blade is covered between periods of use.
It is known that in order to reduce the risk of inadvertent cuts from a scalpel in a surgical environment as, for example, the scalpel is passed from one individual to another, the cutting blade of the scalpel can be covered with a safety shield between periods of use, and it is this class of shielded scalpels to which the present invention is to be compared. One such shielded scalpel is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,810,241 as having an elongated handle, a cutting blade which extends from the handle and a safety shield which is attached to the handle for movement relative thereto between a blade edge-covering position and an out-of-the way position at which the cutting edge of the blade is exposed for use. Furthermore, a manually-operable slide assembly is mounted upon the handle for sliding movement along the length thereof, and gear mechanisms are interposed between the slide mechanism and the safety shield so that the movement of the shield between its edge-covering and out-of-the-way positions is effected by the movement of the slide assembly along the length of the handle.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved scalpel handle having a safety shield for covering the blade mounted upon the handle.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a scalpel handle having a safety shield which is movable between a blade-covering position and an out-of-the-way position at which the cutting edge of the blade is exposed for use and which employs an improved scheme for moving the shield between its blade-covering and its out-of-the-way position.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide such a scalpel handle whose shield can be readily moved by an operator between its blade-covering and its out-of-the-way position.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such a scalpel handle having an actuator mechanism which can be depressed by a finger (e.g. the index finger) of the hand which grasps the handle for moving the blade shield from its blade-covering position to its out-of-the-way position and whose blade shield can be releasably locked in its out-of-the-way position.
A further object of the present invention is to provide such a scalpel handle whose blade shield can be readily unlocked from its locked, out-of-the-way position.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide such a scalpel handle having a grip which is designed to reduce the likelihood of slip between the handle and the grasping hand and to facilitate the manipulation of the scalpel handle with the grasping hand during use.
A yet further object of the present invention is to provide such a scalpel handle which is uncomplicated in structure, yet effective in operation.